Final answer:
To find the original price of the skirt, set up the equation 0.34(s + 18) = 31.50 and solve for 's'. The original price of the skirt is approximately $74.65.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the original price of the skirt, we need to set up an equation using the information given. Let's call the original price of the skirt 's'. We know that Jade buys the blouse and the skirt for 34% of their original price, which means she pays 34% of the original price for both items combined. If the original price of the blouse is $18 and Jade pays a total of $31.50 for both items, we can set up the following equation:
0.34(s + 18) = 31.50
To solve this equation, let's use the Distributive Property. Multiply 0.34 by both terms inside the parentheses:
0.34 * s + 0.34 * 18 = 31.50
0.34s + 6.12 = 31.50
Now, let's isolate the variable. Subtract 6.12 from both sides of the equation:
0.34s = 25.38
Finally, divide both sides of the equation by 0.34 to solve for 's':
s = 25.38 / 0.34
s ≈ 74.65
The original price of the skirt is approximately $74.65.